Method of distilling petroleum



Dec. 4, 1928. 1,694,259

H. H. HEWETSON 1 METHOD OF DISTILLING PETROLEUM File d June 18, 1925:iIETOWER V Gamma Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. HEWETSON, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO STANDARD OILDEVELOPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METHOD OF DISTILLING PETROLEUM.

Application filed June 18, 1923. Serial No. 646,005.

This invention relates to the art of distilling hydrocarbons and will befully understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of oneform of apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a detail, showing on an enlarged scfale one form ofconstruction for the fluid li t.

As shown in the drawing, the reference character 1 designates a stillheated by any means, as desired, and having a vapor pipe 2 (shown partlybroken away for clearness) leading to a fractional condenser tower 3.From the condenser tower 3 a vapor pipe 4 proceeds to a condenser coilin the watercontaining condenser box 5. Another still 10 is mountedalongside the first still and similarly has a vapor pipe 12 andfractional condenser 13; and additional stills may be provided, all inseries to any number desired. From the lower part of still 1 a pipe 6connects to discharge into the tower 13 of the next still. Preferablythis connecting pipe extends down below the level of the still andthence has a riser section leading to the point of discharge; andprojecting into the riser section is a pipe 7 for admission of p afluid, for example steam, by means of which discharge is effected. Theprecise construc tion of the fluid inlet may vary. A simple formcomprises an internal pipe extension 8 sealed leak-tight with the wallof the discharge pipe at point of entry and having a plurality oforifices-9.

In operation, oil being fed into the still 1 from a suitable source,vapors will be taken off for the temperature'prevailing in thestill andwill ass over to the fractional condenser .3 where heavier constituentsare condensed out and may be returned to the still by the as to flowdown therein counter-currently to the rising vapors, and then proceedsthrough r the reflux pipe for thattower down to feed the still 10. Thesteam introduced into the connecting or discharge pipe from the stillnot only enables transfer of the oil from the still but also assists inthe distillation.

While my invention is particularly advantageous with stills in a seriesor battery where the fluid lift moves the unvaporized residue from onestill to the tower of the next still and so on through the series, Ialso contemplate in some cases connecting the fluid lift discharge linefrom one still directly to the next, or from a still directly into itsown tower; and generally in distillation or vapor separating apparatus Icontemplate connecting a fluid lift line to pick up liquid oil wheneverit may be left, whether to move it from a still or even from the bottomof a fractional condensing tower and raise it up to discharge into thesame tower.

Instead of a simply perforated steam inlet ipe, if desired the inlet maytake other orms, such for instance as a jet, or an ejector form, andwhile'steam is preferred for the operation of the lift, other convenientfluids may be used; and the advantages of my invitation may be realizedcorrespondingly by even injecting water, in which case steam generationin situ results.

hat I claim is: The method of continuously distilling petroleum whichcomprises maintaining a series of bodies of petroleum at successivelyhigher temperatures, conducting away and condensing the vapors soformed, maintaining a continuously flowing stream of petroleum from eachbody to that at the next higher temperature, each stream having adown-flowing and up-flowing section, introducing into said streama'quantity of a. liquid .having a boiling point lower than thetemperature of the stream, to produce by vaporization a gas or vapor inthe form of bubbles commingled with the liquid in the up-flowingsection.

HENRY H. HEWETSON.

